No new coal plants under draft EPA rules

Proposed greenhouse-gas regulations effectively prohibit construction

(WASHINGTON TIMES) The Environmental Protection Agency Tuesday proposed greenhouse-gas regulations that effectively would prohibit the construction of new coal-fired power plants.

The rules, released in draft form and expected to be finalized later this year, would require new coal facilities to use expensive carbon-capture technology, which is still being developed and is not yet financially viable.

The EPA is not limiting emissions from existing coal plants, which provide about 45 percent of the nation’s electricity, or those expected to break ground within the next 12 months.